PSYCH 3M03 Lecture Notes - Anterior Pituitary, Castration, Ejaculation
18 Oct 2013
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Document Summary
Pheromones, tactile stimuli, visual stimuli all input into sexual arousal. Sexual behaviour is largely innate once initiated. Male sexual behaviour: mounting positioning on the female to permit copulation. Intromission insertion of the penis with pelvic thrusting; in mice, many intromissions; in humans, single intromission: ejaculation reflexive emission of sperm, basic spinal reflexes both can occur after spinal transection above the sacral vertebrate. Transect spinal cord in lab animal, causes peripheral paralysis, but these reflexes (in spine) still occur. Severed spinal cord in accident; can still show sexual responses: hormones and male sexual response. More testosterone does not necessarily cause more sexual activity testosterone slow acting organizational hormone. Inject testosterone into lab animal may not demonstrate greater sexuality. Dependent on reaching a certain threshold of testosterone, usually met after puberty. Levels of testosterone are highest at the beginning of the day. Testosterone binds to portions of hypothalamus critical for sexual behaviour. Castration reduces male sexual response (not always); adrenals and experience.
